More than 600 “Right of Entry” forms giving the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permission to clear debris of wildfire-destroyed homes were submitted in the first day they were available, authorities said Wednesday while assuring the public the debris-removal effort will be completed as quickly as possible.
The forms became available for affected property owners on Tuesday, with the document and other information available at recovery.lacounty.gov/debris-removal/.
The debris-clearance process is currently in Phase 1, which is the removal of hazardous materials from properties by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to ensure the debris areas are safe for people to enter.
Once hazardous waste is cleared from properties, the Corps of Engineers or private contractors hired by homeowners will be able to move in and physically remove the debris from properties. Property owners who want the Corps of Engineers to conduct the work — at no cost to the homeowner — must opt in to the program by completing a “Right of Entry” form. Property owners also have the option of opting out of the program if they plan to hire their own contractor to do the removal work.
Property owners have until March 31 to complete the forms, county Public Works Director Mark Pestrella said.
Questions have lingered among some property owners about how long the process will take for them to access their properties so they can begin the rebuilding process. Authorities have stressed that the EPA must complete its hazardous-materials removal work before physical debris removal can begin.
On Wednesday morning, County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger said the initial assessments were completed and the process of removing hazardous materials will begin in the next week.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday that the state and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have sent a letter to the EPA calling for the Phase 1 hazardous materials work to be completed within 30 days, not the original 60 days that was estimated.
“The state has offered unprecedented resources,” Newsom told reporters during a news conference at Dodger Stadium. “I still have 1,971 National Guard (troops) down here. We will do whatever it takes to provide that support for the EPA. They’ve been provided with $175 million, and they need to get it done — pursuant not only to the direction of FEMA, but the direction of the president of the United States himself, who wants to move heaven and Earth to make sure that happens sooner. So the debris removal Phase 1 we want done in the next 30 days.”
Newsom said the Phase 2 debris removal program will not have to wait until the EPA’s work is completely done. He said as individual properties are cleared, once residents complete the Right of Entry form, “they can do debris removal for themselves by a contractor or they can get the support from the Army Corps.”
“Once the debris is removed in Phase 2, it goes up on a website and then the building permit process begins, so all this happens stacked on top of each other,” he said. “It’s not Phase 1, then we begin Phase 2, (then after) Phase 2 we begin rebuilding. It all happens in real time.”
Col. Eric Swenson of the Corps of Engineers said Wednesday morning that he anticipates the vast majority of the debris-clearance work to be completed within a year. He said previous comments about the process taking up to 18 months included potential delays involved with some properties in which ownership could be in question or the resident died.
Swenson said the faster residents completed the Right of Entry forms, the faster the Corps can move in and begin the work. He said the process isn’t necessarily a first-come, first-served system, but if residents delay in completing the forms, it could lead to a longer wait time for the work to be completed.
Swenson said he believes at least 80% or more of the affected properties could be fully cleared within a year, with the work likely being completed much faster at many locations. He and other officials urged residents to work with their neighbors in filing the Right of Entry forms, allowing the Corps to work in “clusters” of neighborhoods that would expedite the process.
The county Department of Public Works is coordinating the debris-removal process in conjunction with the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers.
Barger said Wednesday the county is also working to release a set of guidelines for property owners who would like to put temporary “accessory dwelling units” on their fire-damaged properties, allowing them to live on site while rebuilding work is done. She noted that there are pre-fabricated units available that could potentially be erected on properties quickly, providing a living space for displaced residents who have been staying in hotels or other accommodations.